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The Wall serves as a reminder of the friendship between the people of Germany and the United States of America. — Berlin Wall Section at Kennesaw State University

For dessert, the nicautole, a pre-Hispanic corn-thickened gelée, accompanied by a prickly pear granita. — Levadura de Olla

Mole del campo is rich and astonishingly complex. — Tierra de Sol

Here’s what the shoe looked like when it was Deschwanden’s. — Big Shoe Repair

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For dessert, the nicautole, a pre-Hispanic corn-thickened gelée, accompanied by a prickly pear granita. — Levadura de Olla

Mole del campo is rich and astonishingly complex. — Tierra de Sol

Chiles rellenos here start with a pale green chile de agua. — Las Quince Letras

Order a round of garnachas, masa disks with shredded pork. — La Teca

The Chalet Cheese Co-Op is a venerable cheesemaking plant in the heart of Green County, Wisconsin. — Chalet Cheese Cooperative

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Horror hotlines celebrated one of the genre’s favorite tools of torture: the telephone. — The Heyday of Horror Hotlines and Why We Still Love to Fear the Phone

Perhaps due to Japan’s temperate climate, the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu is more gentle and benevolent than some other sun deities. — How Can Myths Help Us Understand the Stars? AO Wants to Know.

Effigies that don’t win the vote are burned, like this one from 2022’s festival. — These Fantastic Spanish Sculptures Were Built to Burn

Taxidermy two-headed calves are on display inside San Francisco’s Two-Headed Calf MOOseum. — Inside the World’s Largest Two-Headed Calf Collection

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Italy

Mantua

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Mantua

15 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Mantua, Italy

Updated November 1, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Mantua

The eternal lovers of Valdaro.

Mantua, Italy

Lovers of Valdaro

A young Italian couple has been locked in an embrace for over 6,000 years.

Two walls and part of the ceiling

Mantua, Italy

Sala dei Giganti (Chamber of the Giants)

A room filled with frescos that make it seem like the walls are crumbling down while giants die in despair.

Inside the basilica

Mantua, Italy

Basilica di Sant'Andrea

It took more than 300 years to build this church, which is home to two sacred vessels believed to hold the blood of Christ.

Mantua, Italy

Isola dei Fiori di Loto (Lotus Island)

In Lago Superiore, the largest expanse of lotus flowers outside of Asia is hard to miss.

Rotonda di San Lorenzo

Mantua, Italy

Rotonda di San Lorenzo

The oldest church in Mantua was buried for centuries under the facades of other structures.

The hare

Mantua, Italy

Sant'Andrea's Hare

A hidden bas-relief of a hare on a church main portal that brings good luck to the ones who find it.

Mantua, Italy

Villa La Favorita

The remains of the last Gonzaga villa, a luxurious palace built in spite of an economic crisis.

Mantua Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Pietro)

Mantua, Italy

Mantua Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Pietro)

The seat of the Mantua bishop holds many secrets within its walls.

See All 15 Things To Do in Mantua

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Explore Mantua, Italy

Architecture 6

History & Culture 5

Churches 4

Architectural Oddities 3

Towers 2

Art 2

Sacred Spaces 2

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Recent Mantua Activity

elizabethajboyden

wants to go to Lovers of Valdaro
amyjehrich

wants to go to Lovers of Valdaro
driessouvereyns

has been to Mantua Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Pietro)
driessouvereyns

has been to Cartiera Burgo (Burgo Paper Mill)
jkaufman96

wants to go to Basilica di Sant'Andrea

Stories About Mantua

Podcast: Italy’s Bomb Squad

Volunteers have been finding, excavating, removing, and sometimes even defusing bombs.

by The Podcast Team

September 18, 2023

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